


I Know You

by can_i_slytherin



Category: Marvel
Genre: BAMF Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Shapeshifting, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24901420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/can_i_slytherin/pseuds/can_i_slytherin
Summary: In which Maria seems off after a mission and Wanda gets to the bottom of it.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Wanda Maximoff, James "Bucky" Barnes & Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Maria Hill/Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	I Know You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RenLuthor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenLuthor/gifts).



> This was A LOT longer than I intended for it to be. This is my first time writing Wanda/Maria, so Maria might be a little OOC. But, I hope its up to scratch!

It was supposed to have been an easy mission. In and out- that was it. Simple. They shouldn't have any problems, but as it always was with the Avengers they encountered difficulties. 

  
  


The sound of struggling came over the coms and everyone paused for a moment to determine where it was coming from. Soon enough a voice came through.

_ I've been compromised. _ It was Maria. 

Wanda felt her heart leap into her throat. 

_ Who's closest?  _ It was Steve- ever the leader and strategist, probably working on a plan as they spoke.

"I'll handle it," Wanda was already moving before Steve had a chance to give her confirmation, her anxiety outweighing any rational thought. 

She needed to get to Maria before it was too late. She could be hurt or worse.

Wanda shook her head, dispelling the thought before it had a chance to sink its dirty claws in, and immediately ran towards the main building in which Maria set herself up in. If she used her magic to make herself faster, then nobody needed to know. 

The truth was: there was more to have panic than usual camaraderie. The feelings that she had for Maria had been steadily blossoming over the past couple of weeks. She wouldn't call it love- not yet at least. It wasn't strong enough for that. But, to deny that she found Maria attractive would be idiotic. The only person she'd be lying to was herself. 

It started as shameless flirting, but as they grew to know each other something else grew inside her chest. Something warm and wholesome that chased away the deep-rooted darkness which came with being treated as a weapon for so many years. It had only been because of Maria that she had regained her humanity and realised that she was more than the lab experiment that HYDRA had made her to be. That she was more than the death and destruction that she had single-handedly caused. 

It seemed that from that moment onwards, something in their relationship had shifted. It seemed that things have grown softer and more intimate. 

Flirting turned into compliments. Accidental touches became intentional and those touches lingered. 

It was safe to say that they had moved past the idea of measly attraction and into something, well, more. Wanda didn't know how to describe it, but, whatever it was, it was beautiful and she wanted to hold onto it for as long as she could. 

Pulling herself from her thoughts, she leaped in through the window of the main building only to find the office in complete disarray. The mission reports had been scattered across the floor; the desk had been snapped in half; two of the windows had been blown out; and the chairs had been upturned. 

In amongst the mess, Maria was laying stock-still and unconscious. Wanda let out a soft whimper and dropped to her knees beside the ex-SHIELD agent, moving to cradle her head in her lap. 

"Maria," Wanda whispered, voice tight with emotion and anxiety clawing at her heart. She lifted her hand, pressing her fingers to her temples, and a jet of red light shot out, forming a connection between their brains. 

Wanda rooted around for a moment, avoiding memories and significant details, before she found the quiet, unconscious part of her brain and gently coaxed Maria awake. 

As she severed their connection, she couldn't help feeling that something was wrong. Something about Maria didn't seem normal; perhaps it was just the injury, but her instincts said otherwise. 

Wanda brushed the thought aside, however, when Maria blinked her eyes open, looking confused for a moment, but the expression passed soon enough. 

"What happened?" She asked, sitting up and rubbing at the side of her head with a pained frown.

Wanda frowned. "I was hoping that you could tell me."

Maria tilted her head in confusion, shaking it lightly before pushing herself to her feet as if nothing had happened. 

That in itself was odd, but what followed was even more so. 

"When can we get back to Stark's Tower?" She questioned, aiming for nonchalance, but sounding more desperate. 

Wanda recoiled, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "As soon as we finish with the mission, you know that." 

Maria made a vague noise of agreement, eyes scanning over the many computer screens that had been scattered throughout the room- most broken, but some still in working order. 

She crouched down, poking at one of the monitors with her index finger. "What are we doing here?" 

"How hard did you hit your head?" Wanda replied, trying to sound teasing, but her concern must have flashed through because Maria snapped her head up, staring at her incredulously. 

She waved her off, rising to her feet and striding towards the exit. "Where is the quinjet?"

"Yes, perhaps we best get you back and seek medical help from Dr. Banner," she whispered, walking towards Maria in a similar fashion to how you would approach a scared animal. 

Maria waved her off again. "I don't need help, I'm fine." 

"Now is not the time to be stubborn, Maria!" Wanda snapped, her frustration and worry getting the better of her. "You need help, you are not okay! Do not dismiss me!" 

"Right, right, sorry," Maria held her hands up in mock-defense. "You were saying?"

There was something strange about her voice. She hadn't noticed it before, but the longer she spoke, the more prominent it got. It sounded familiar too, like an accent, but Wanda couldn't place her finger on where she'd heard it before. 

The oddness of the situation aside, Wanda needed to get Maria back to the jet so that Dr. Banner could give her an evaluation. 

"Maria," the woman gave a vague noise of recognition. "Will you come with me?" 

Maria nodded distractedly, eyes searching the room for something, stopping in seemingly empty spaces, as if she were looking at something that only she could see. 

It was unnerving. 

As Wanda left the room, Maria tucked under one arm, she failed to notice the faint shimmer of a cloaking device in the far corner of the room, where the  _ real  _ Agent Hill was hidden- bound and gagged, screaming for Wanda to turn around. 

  
  
  
  


Two days passed and it seemed that Maria's behaviour only became weirder. Where before she had been an outgoing, fun-loving person, who smiled and joked and  _ flirted, _ she was now distant and cold, stone-crafted and emotionless- like the joy had been sucked from her. 

It wasn't like Maria at all and Wanda was beginning to worry that she had done serious damage to herself during the mission. But, despite everything, Dr. Banner had assured her many times that there were no lasting head injuries- no one could explain the brunette's abnormal behaviour. 

The only person that seemed to understand was Bucky. 

"So, chase it," the ex-assassin urged after Wanda had explained her predicament. "If you feel that something is amiss, then do reconnaissance. Find out why she's acting peculiar." 

"But, what if nothing is wrong? And she's just shaken up?" Wanda parried. 

Bucky arched an eyebrow. "What if something  _ is  _ wrong and we're too late to do anything?"

Wanda groaned and buried her head in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. "I'm worried, Bucky." 

The older hero sighed and shuffled closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Wanda leant into his touch, resting her weight against him and curling into his side. 

"I know,  _ solntse _ ," he soothed, reaching a hand up to play with her hair. "But, we'll get to the bottom of this. I promise." 

"Thank you," she whispered, eyes dropping when an unexpected wave of tiredness washed over her. "Can I stay here tonight?" 

Bucky chuckled and dropped a kiss into her hair. "Of course." 

  
  
  
  


The next day, Wanda woke up feeling refreshed and oddly determined. Today was the day that she would confront Maria and demand to be told what was wrong. 

As she strode out into the living room, Steve was in the adjoining kitchen, shirt off and drenched in sweat, obviously having recently come back from a run. 

"Where's the fire?" Steve teased and proceeded to down almost a litre of water. 

"I have to talk to Maria," Wanda explained, rolling her eyes when Steve smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. 

"You need back up?" Steve questioned, grinning at her confused expression. "Bucky told me what happened." 

"I expected that he would," she replied and fell silent as she weighed up her option. "Will you stand by? Just in case?" 

Steve nodded, a hard look in his eyes, and Wanda smiled in thanks at him, some of the uncertainty in her chest subsiding. 

As she entered the elevator, she called for JARVIS. 

_ Yes, Miss Maximoff? _ Came the disembodied reply. 

"Where is Maria?" 

There was a brief pause.  _ She is in the storage room on Lower Level Three. Would you like me to take you there?  _

"Please," she replied and grinned in thanks when the elevator started to journey downwards, the numbers above the door ticking down at a considerable speed before it stopped at her floor. 

Wanda immediately stepped out, pausing in the hallway for a brief moment before JARVIS took pity on her and led the way with a series of blinking, red lights. She had never been more thankful for the A.I. 

The lights stopped abruptly when she reached a metal door with no handle and she was confused for a moment before it hissed open, obviously on some kind of motion sensor. 

She stepped inside, scanning the small room before her gaze landed on Maria, bent over a box filled with old StarkTech- failed projects and old suits- and rifling through its contents with odd determination. 

"Maria," Wanda greeted, leaning nonchalantly against the wall, but the rigid lines to her shoulders gave away her discomfort and uncertainty. 

"Hi," she replied, with none of her usual early-morning chipper. 

Wanda narrowed her eyes, a plan formulating in her mind and she smirked as she pushed off the wall, wandering towards the other woman with vague indifference. 

"JARVIS told me that you'd had a phone call from your sister this morning," Wanda whispered, coming to stand behind Maria, placing a hand in her shoulder and squeezing. "I know that your relationship with her hasnt been amazing since your father died. It must have been tough." 

"It was," Maria agreed distractedly and Wanda caught a brief movement from the corner of her eye- Maria had tucked something under her shirt. 

Before anymore could be said, Wanda's hand shot out and Maria, or not, as it seemed, was pinned against the wall with a haze of red around her throat. 

"JARVIS," she ground out. "Alert Steve and Bucky now." There was no reply, but she knew that the A.I. had heard her and that was enough. Back up was on the way. 

She turned back to the imposter, snarling at it. "Maria doesn't have a sister and her father is still alive," Wanda paused for a moment, tightening the restraint on her neck. "And she  _ certainly _ doesn't steal from her friends," the haze of red tightened further and Not-Maria choked slightly. "So,  _ who are you _ and where is  _ my  _ Maria?" 

"Where she needs to be," the thing replied. 

She tightened the restraint even more and the thing clawed at its own neck, eyes going wide as it gasped for breath. 

"Where is she?" Wanda growled out, frustration and worry getting the better of her. "I will not ask you again." 

Before Not-Maria could reply, Bucky and Steve burst into the room. The brunet was holding a handgun and the blond was empty-handed; she didn't know what made her feel more at ease, but the relief hit her like a ton of bricks. She sagged and let out a heavy breath. 

"We're here now,  _ solntse _ ," Bucky soothed, moving forward to place a hand at the small of her back. "Let us handle it." 

Wanda nodded, falling behind Steve and Bucky and allowing them to take over. She watched from the shadows as the two supersoldiers drew themselves to their true heights, a wall of intimidating muscle and murder-glares blocking Not-Maria from leaving. 

"I believe she asked you a question," Steve hissed out, using his  _ Captain America  _ voice and the thing shivered. "You have one of our friends; where is she?" Not-Maria stayed silent and Bucky fired a shot close to its ear, making the imposter flinch. 

"Talk," he growled. "Or the next bullet'll be through your shoulder." 

"She's on the mothership," Bucky placed his finger back on the trigger and the thing raised its hand in defense. "It's disguised, under a cloaking device in your Bryant Park."

"Wait," Bucky snapped before Steve could day anymore and he stepped forward, hand snaking under the imposter's shirt. 

He pulled out an age-old piece of technology. "And what do you want with this?" 

"I need it," the thing replied. 

"For what?" He hissed, shoving the device into a pocket in his tact pants for safekeeping. Not-Maria shook her head stubbornly and Bucky gritted her teeth, raising his gun. "You're about to be in a world of hurt if you don't answer me." 

The thing shuddered at the threat. "My Master has asked me to steal it because it is the final piece of technology that we need to create our weapon and destroy mankind." 

"Of course," Steve drawled and rolled his eyes. "How original." 

"I hate to rush you," Wanda whispered, shifting anxiously from one foot to the other. "But, Maria is still on that mothership and we don't know what condition she's in." 

Bucky heard the panic in her voice and turned to her with a soft smile. "She'll be okay, we'll get her back. I promise." 

"You'll take us there," Steve ordered, leaving no room for arguments and drawing the conversation back to its original point. "You'll give us back  _ our  _ Maria and you'll go back to whatever backwater planet you came from. Understood?" 

The thing nodded and Steve turned to the ceiling, "JARVIS?" 

_ Yes, Captain?  _

Steve smiled. "Will you get the team ready?"

_ Of course, sir. Should I contact everyone?  _

"No," Steve shook his head. "Tony and Nat should cover it. But, keep Clint and Sam on standby just in case things go south." 

_ Right away, sir and Miss Romanoff will meet you on the helipad.  _

"No," Bucky interjected. "Tell them to meet us in the garage. We can drive." 

_ Of course, Sergeant. _

JARVIS disconnected and Bucky turned to Wanda, who looked as white as a sheet and shaking like a leaf. 

"You don't have to come," he soothed. "You can stay here and wait." 

Wanda's eyes widened and she shook her head. "I need to come. I need to know that she's okay." Bucky nodded in understanding, pulling her in for a brief hug. 

They turned back to Not-Maria, who was getting wrestled into a pair of power-dampening cuffs, and led it out of the room. 

"Any funny business and I'll shoot you," Bucky snarled. The thing gulped and nodded, eyes wide and frightened as they stepped into the elevator, dropping down a couple more levels into the garage where Natasha and Tony were waiting with a van. 

  
  
  
  


The drive to Bryant Park was short, but filled with tension and nerves- mostly from Wanda. The young hero was more concerned than she let on, anyone with  _ eyes  _ could see that. 

When the van pulled up to the park, Wanda was tumbling out of the side door before it had properly stopped and Bucky followed with Steve bringing up the rear, Not-Maria getting dragged along next to him. 

"Where's the ship?" Tony demanded, hovering beside Not-Maria in his suit. 

"Over there," the thing pointed towards an empty spot a few feet ahead that was shimmering faintly under the mid-morning sun. 

Wanda made motion to step forward, but Bucky shot his hand up to grab at her wrist. She stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at him, stopping when she realised it was. 

“ I know you're worried,  _ solntse, _ ” he whispered. “But, we can't go charging in there when we have no idea what we're up against. You need to keep a level head,” he chuckled when she arched an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “I know that's hard, but it's what Maria needs.” 

At the mention of the other woman, Wanda visibly relaxed and nodded, motioning for Bucky to take the lead, but made a noise of discomfort and grasped his hand. The ex-assassin smiled down at her and squeezed her fingers in reassurance before leading her towards the ship. 

As they passed through the shield surrounding the ship, the thing’s disguise fell away revealing its true form. It was barely 3 feet tall with lilac skin and a wonky, pink eye. It only had two fingers on each hand and stumpy legs with a few too many toes. As far as aliens one it wasn't ugly, but it wasn't attractive either. Everyone in attendance had seen worse. 

They were led onto the ship and through a series of winding corridors before they arrived in what looked like a holding facility in the belly of the ship. 

Maria was chained to the far wall, face bloody and hair tousled- looking thoroughly dishevelled and beaten down. From what Bucky could see, she was still breathing, but it was ragged and shallow- almost like she had sustained serious damage to her lungs. 

From beside him, Wanda made a pained noise and was running towards Maria with a concerned frown between her eyebrows. She pulled the chains away from Maria's wrists and caught her when her knees gave out, an arm around her waist. 

“Get her out of here and back to the van,” Steve ordered and Wanda took off in the direction that they’d come from, leaving him, Bucky, Tony and Natasha to deal with their own prisoner.

“I will give you twenty seconds to leave Planet Earth,” he told the lilac-skinned alien. “If you are not gone within the allotted time, there will be consequences. Understood?” It nodded and Steve smiled, powering down the cuffs and taking them off. Tony, Natasha and Bucky kept their respective weapons trained on the alien the entire time. 

They made their way off the ship and back towards the van. Steve paused for a moment before getting in making sure that the alien stayed true to its word and left the planet. Moments later, the sound of thrusters starting up echoed through the otherwise quiet park and the spacecraft took off into the mid-morning sky, disappearing from sight in mere seconds. 

Steve nodded, happy with the outcome, and climbed into the van beside Bucky, leaning his head against the brunette’s shoulder with a heavy sigh. In the seat across from them, Wanda was cradling Maria's head in her lap, stroking her fingers through her hair and whispering sweet nothings into her ear as she begged to be okay. 

The raw emotion in her voice made Bucky’s heart seize up and he ached to reach out and comfort her, but decided to let her decompress in her own time. So, he chose to send her a reassuring smile instead, silently the car to go faster- if not for Wanda’s sake then for Maria's. 

Despite the journey being short, time seemed to drag on and, with every passing moment, Wanda grew more anxious. But, the journey was soon over and Wanda was climbing out of the van, using her powers to carry Maria towards the elevator. The team followed and Tony ordered JARVIS to take them to the infirmary whilst Bucky reached out, intertwining his and Wanda’s fingers. 

The witch smiled at him, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, and she squeezed his fingers in thanks. Bucky shook his head dismissively and Wanda smiled again, but this time it seemed more genuine. 

There was a medical team waiting for them when they arrived and Wanda deposited Maria on a gurney, following alongside the injured agent as they took her to a private room to fix her up. The four other heroes followed, arranging themselves into the seats outside of Maria’s room, both as a protective measure and in support of both women. 

  
  
  
  


It was a few hours later that Wanda re-emerged from the room. Tony and Natasha had long since disappeared, their respective lives calling to them, but Bucky and Steve had stayed, feeling uncomfortable with leaving either woman alone. 

Wanda smiled when she saw them, seeming much older than she actually was, and Bucky rose from his seat to pull her into a tight hug. She proceeded to break down, tears streaming down her face and dripping onto Bucky’s shirt. The brunet simply held her closer, rubbing soothing circles into her spine and whispering words of comfort into her ear. Steve had joined their hug at some point, sandwiching the young hero between two supersoldiers, and that seemed to make her cry even more. 

“What happened?” Bucky whispered, concerned and worry filling his chest and making everything feel tight. “Talk to us.” 

“She’s okay,” Wanda sobbed, the relief and happiness coating her voice like honey. “She’s okay.” 

“That’s good,” Bucky dropped a kiss into her hair and he and Steve tightened their grip on her. “Is she awake?” 

“She was briefly, but she fell back asleep,” Wanda explained. “She must be exhausted. I can only imagine what they put her through.” 

“Hey,” Steve admonished. “Try not to think too much about that, okay? She’s here now and she’s safe, that’s all that matters for now.” 

Wanda nodded, letting out a meek, “Okay,” before she tapped Bucky’s chest and pulled away, wiping hastily at her tears. 

“I should go back in there,” Wanda replied, clearing her throat and straightening her back. “You two can go home.” 

“Are you sure?” Bucky questioned, hesitating briefly. 

“I’ll call you if I need you,” she promised and rose up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to Bucky’s cheek. “You’ve done enough for now, I can deal with the rest.” 

“Remember to look after yourself as well, Wanda,” Steve muttered, dropping a kiss into her hair before holding his hand out to Bucky. 

“I will.” 

Steve nodded and gave her a soft smile before pulling Bucky towards the elevator, leaving Wanda to go back to Maria. 

  
  
  
  


When she reentered the room, Maria was still asleep and Wanda settled into the chair beside her bed, leaning forward to take the older woman’s hand in her own. She rested her head against the mattress and sighed heavily, the worry and stress from the last few days finally catching up to her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she swallowed around the lump in her throat, willing herself to calm down. 

“I thought I’d lost you,” she muttered, the words coming with such confidence that only came when others were asleep. “I was so scared. I knew immediately that something was wrong, but I couldn’t place my finger on it and I hate myself for not recognising it sooner. If I had, then maybe you would not be in such a state,” she shook her head, biting her lip and letting the tears fall freely now, soaking the bedspread underneath her. “Maria, I haven’t felt like this since I lost my brother and I realise now that what I am feeling is not just a  _ crush _ . What I’m trying to say, what I will say when you are awake, is that I love you, Maria, and I cannot deny my feelings any longer.” 

“Neither can I,” came the whispered reply and Wanda snapped her head up, staring through tear-filled eyes at the woman in front of her. 

“You were awake?” She spluttered, a blush covering her cheeks and she averted her gaze, feeling suddenly exposed under the heat of Maria’s gaze. “How much did you hear?” 

“Enough,” Maria lifted a shaky hand and tucked two fingers under Wanda’s chin, forcing the younger woman to look up. They locked gazes and the love and adoration that was contained within Maria’s gaze was enough to knock the air from Wanda’s lungs. 

“Maria,” she breathed. 

“I love you too,” Maria responded. “I didn’t think I’d ever tell you, but I suppose life has a way of making things happen. But, Wanda, I can’t hide it anymore. I want you, so much, and I can’t go another day without you.” 

“You have me,” she soothed, hand coming up to rest over the one that was cupping her cheek. 

“Kiss me,” Maria whispered, desperation and need darkening her gaze and Wanda found herself leaning closer before she was aware of her actions. 

Their lips pressed together, soft and hesitant at first, but Maria gasped and pulled Wanda closer, snaking a hand up to wrap through her hair. She tilted her head back to deepen the kiss and slipped her tongue into Wanda’s mouth, finally getting a taste of the beautiful woman that she had been fantasizing about for weeks. 

Wanda gasped and pulled away, tipping her head forward to rest their foreheads together, a bright grin spreading across her lips as her brain finally caught up with her. 

“Will you stay with me?” Maria questioned, lips spit-slick and kiss-bitten. Wanda grinned and nodded. The older woman returned her smile, equally toothy and happy, and shuffled over in the bed, patting the space beside her. 

Wanda’s grin widened, if that were possible, and she kicked off her shoes before climbing into the bed beside her, cuddling into her side. Maria wrapped an arm around her, burying her nose in Wanda’s hair, and held her as tight as her injuries would allow. 

They fell asleep like that and, if Maria woke up to Bucky draping a second blanket over them and pressing a kiss against both of their foreheads, then she would say nothing, just smile and go back to sleep. 


End file.
